Forgone Desires
by Mansi jain
Summary: Lucius captures James and tries to usurp his throne. Harriet must rescue her father and prevent the take over. She can enter the castle only as the Lord's favorite so she must become a part of the harem. Draco and Harriet must choose between love and duty. Female Harry Potter and Female Sirius Black. Alive James, Lily.


**Note: Harry Potter has been renamed as Harriet Potter and Sirius Black has been renamed as Sierra Black**

**_Chapter-1_**

**_Decisions_**

Cool breeze swept in through the gigantic windows and Harriet stirred. She blinked a couple of times before opening her eyes and yawning. It was still dark outside. She still had some time before her classes. She closed her eyes again and turned to the other side.

She wondered what had woken her up.

"Noooo." The scream startled her so much that she shot up in her bed. Her right hand went underneath her pillow to get her wand and left went towards her scabbard that hung on the side of her bed to grab her sword.

She got out of her bed and tip toed towards her door. It won't do to alert the enemy that she had woken, that is, if someone _had_ attacked. But that was mom's voice and why would she need to wander around the castle in the middle of the night and scream.

She had no time to change. Her night gown will have to do for now. She unlocked her door very slowly and opened it. She drew both her sword and wand and looked on both the sides.

Two guards were standing close to the opposite railing. They offered her a bow before murmuring quietly, "Good morning, my lady." It was unusual for them to be guarding her room. Usually they took rounds all over the castle.

"I heard a scream." Harriet said.

"Lord Potter was in the royal garden when he was captured by Lord Malfoy's men." They said in a monotone. She stared at them and her heart started racing. It dawned upon her very suddenly Lucius would take this opportunity to take over their empire. On one hand, she wanted to go and rescue father and on the other hand, she knew that she would have to stay and take some decisions, decisions that should have been taken when she had first noticed the signs of father's downfall.

"Where is everyone?" She asked.

"The great hall, my lady."

"Where are Jameson and William?" She asked. The former was thirteen years old and and the latter was only five. They would need to be guarded at all times.

"They are sleeping in their rooms."

She sighed, "Bring them in the hall and guard them at all times. Don't wake Hermione and cousin Ron up."

"Okay, my lady." One of the guards whispered and after another low bow, they marched off towards her brothers's rooms. She hurried towards the hall. The castle was huge and the great hall was on the ground floor. There were anti-apparition wards inside so of course, she had to walk. With quick steps, she descended the stairs. Lamps were lit all over and there was no-one around except the guards and a few maids.

She took a deep breath when she finally reached the huge door of the great hall. The guards bowed and she nodded before pushing the door open.

Mom's and uncle Severus's head snapped towards her. Aunt Sierra wasn't there at the moment. Nor was uncle Remus. She walked in and closed the door behind her before placing her wand and sword back. Mom was crying. Her hands were covering her face and her shoulders were quivering.

"I'll go and bring him back." These were Harriet's first words and uncle Severus wasn't surprised that she had gotten straight to the point. Jameson was five years younger to her and William was a child. That left her because uncle Severus would have to ascend the throne in father's absence.

But he wasn't father's cousin. In fact, father had no brothers or sisters except aunt Sierra who was his adoptive sister but she hadn't been trained to become a queen and this situation was very delicate. She had no wish to be the one to run this vast empire. She liked dueling and spell making and that's what she did. She taught them and trained new soldiers. There was only one way uncle Severus could become the king. He would have to marry aunt Sierra and they _would not_ be pleased to hear this.

"You most certainly won't." The words were firmly spoken but didn't belong to uncle Severus who had in fact opened his mouth to say something akin to this. They belonged to her aunt Sierra. Mom was still crying. It was painful to watch. But, there was no time to console mother.

Harriet didn't answer and aunt Sierra walked forward to face her. She was a tall, lean woman with sharp eyes and flawless skin. Her shoulders were high and proud and except for a peach lipstick and a thin line of blue eyeliner, she wore no make up. She was dressed in a night gown. Her eyes were dry like Harriet's despite the pain that shined in them. Besides being an adoptive sister, she was one of the three best friends father had.

"Harriet," Uncle Severus started, "You can enter the castle as a member of the harem only and that too only after you catch the eye of the lord and I am not sure if Lucius still entertains himself or it's only Draco who uses the harem. Do you know what that means?"

Harriet stays quiet and watches uncle Severus.

"He's right." Aunt Sierra says, "Harriet, you haven't seen a harem. The Potters never had one. But I have and I know what goes inside those walls. It's a gilded cage and Lucius- he's James's age. It's disgusting."

Harriet takes a deep breath. They are right. She knows that they are right but she has no other alternative.

"I can't let father die." Harriet said, "I'll bring him back. I have to do this."

"You can't." This voice was much smaller. It belonged to William, her little brother. She turned around and he ran towards her. Jameson followed him with gritted teeth and angry eyes.

Harriet knelt down and heard aunt Sierra sigh.

She kissed his small nose before saying, "I need to go and bring father back."

"Why would you go? We could launch an attack." Jameson murmured.

"No. It will a waste of time, life and weapons." She said, "We can't ask our warriors to do what we can't do ourself."

"Please, don't go." William whispered and Harriet hugged him tightly, "I need to go but I'll be back. Don't worry."

"Take Hermione and Ron with you." Jameson muttered flatly with clenched fists.

She shook her head with a softly muttered, "I can't ask this of them. They just got engaged and have already set a date for their marriage."

"But-"

"No, Jameson. I need to go and you'll stay here and continue your lessons and will protect William and won't tell Ron and Hermione." She ordered. He took a deep breath, bowed his head and she turned around.

Without giving aunt Sierra and uncle Severus any opportunity to say anything, she said, "I know that this is too much to ask of both of you but we don't have any other alternative. Uncle Severus can only ascend the throne if he's family and he'll be family if he marries you."

Aunt Sierra bowed her head but Harriet saw her cheeks redden before she did. Harriet looked at uncle Severus. He was staring blankly at her.

"James won't like it." He said. Harriet made a face.

"It doesn't matter right now and anyways he's no longer fit to be a king. He shouldn't have let his guard down. He should have known that our enemy is waiting for just a small chance. He risked everything because of some affair with you that he just imagined mom having." Harriet said and then closed her eyes.

"I know that I am asking too much but there is no other option. Lucius would take over and we can't let that happen. In fact, maybe it's time that you overthrow him." Harriet murmured.

"It's-" Aunt Sierra cleared her throat and looked at Harriet with red cheeks, "It's not a sacrifice. I love him."

"And even _I_ haven't been informed of this little fact yet." Uncle Severus muttered under his breath.

"Oh, and you are singing love songs for me, eh? That's rich, coming from you." Aunt Sierra snapped at him although she didn't look back. It was a surprise. A pleasant one and Harriet looked at both of them with relief.

"The point is," Aunt Sierra started softly, "You'll go and bring him back and won't worry about us. You're not asking us to sacrifice anything."

Harriet didn't have time to celebrate her godmother's and mentor's marriage. Mom had stopped sobbing. She turned around and walked towards her.

"I am sorry." Mom said. Harriet sighed.

"It's not your fault." Harriet said, "I know that you love him. I'll bring him back."

"I don't want you to go." Mom whispered, "I can't ask you to do this."

"You're not asking me to do anything. I'm doing this of my own accord." Harriet said, "And anyways, uncle Severus has taught me well. I can take care of myself."

Harriet was suddenly turned around with two firm hands on her shoulders. She came face to face with uncle Severus.

His eyes were very stern as he said, "You'll come back once you have freed James. You_ will not_ stay there and you _will not_ fight Lucius to overthrow him."

"But it's time." She said adamantly.

His dark eyes narrowed at her, "That's not a request. That's a king's order."

She blinked and nodded.

After hugging her brothers and aunt Sierra for one last time, she left the castle on her white horse, Stone. Uncle Severus forgot one small detail. He was not the lord of the state _yet_ and so she wasn't required to comply with him. Not that she had any plans to do so. But she won't back off if she had a chance to kill Lucius even if she had to go through Draco Malfoy to do so.

She looked around herself, searching for a secluded place where she could disguise herself and then she heard someone following her. She looked around and frowned and then stopped when she realized that Ron and Hermione were following her on their horses with furious faces.

_William! you prat. _She sighed and waited.

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